THE GROWTH of the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 hour has been demonstrated with a display of brand-new cars constructed for the 2017 race on show today at Mount Panorama.

Enormous interest in the Production Car event has seen 65 cars confirmed for the race this year, several of them brand-new racing versions of current road-going cars that are on sale to the general public.

It boosts the ‘showroom showdown’ nature of the race and links back to the heritage of endurance racing at Mount Panorama, founded on series production vehicles in the early 1960s.

Osborne Motorsport will continue its tradition of fostering the next generation of motorsport talent by providing a seat for 16 year old Tyler Everingham in this year’s Australian Production Cars, starting at the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour this weekend.

DAVID WALL and John Bowe will return to the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour this year, looking to go a few spots better than the 2016 race.

Last year was a very good weekend for the Alan East Motorsport/Wall Racing Evo at the Bathurst 6 Hour, despite not having the outright speed of the current cars, such as the Mercedes and BMW. The Evo was reliable and was a great racecar over the 6 hour race, finishing in 3rd overall and 1st in A1 (All Wheel Drive) Class.

This weekend’s Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour represents the most accessible pathway for any racing driver to compete in a major endurance event at Australia’s most famous race track, according to 20-year-old Canberra racer Cameron Hill.

Hill will team up in a Subaru WRX with James Abela for the production car marathon, which will be held this Easter Sunday. The Hill/Abela entry is one of 65 cars set to line up on the grid in one of the largest fields ever to tackle the 6.2km circuit.

SIX cars from the Australian Saloon Car ranks are set to revive the thrilling Holden versus Ford battle that Mount Panorama has come to expect over the past five decades when they race at the 2017 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.

Entered in the invitational class, five Ford AU Falcons and a sole Holden VY Commodore will line up at the mountain, with a mix of experienced campaigners and Bathurst rookies set to hit the track.